License plate lamp assembly

ABSTRACT

A miniature lamp assembly for illuminating a license plate includes a housing mounted by a flange at its forward end. A lamp bulb positioned within the housing projects from the forward end and is enclosed by an internally reflective hood and a transparent cover from which illumination is directed transverse to the longitudinal axis of the bulb and housing. A terminal connector projecting from the rear end of the housing perpendicular to the longitudinal axis establishes an electrical connection between a power supply and the bulb terminal leads.

United States Patent 1 Morrison [451 May 14, 1974 [75] Inventor: Sharks R. Morrison, Frewsburg, Primary Examiner samuel Matthews Assistant Examiner-Richard A. Wintercorn [73] Assignee: Truck-Lite Company, Inc., Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Clarence A. OBrien; Har- Jamestown, NY. vey B. Jacobson [22] Filed: Aug. 29, 1972 ABSTRACT [21] Appl- 284,592 A miniature lamp assembly for illuminating a license plate includes a housing mounted by a flange at its for- [52 U.S. Cl. 240/7.1 R, 240/83, 240/152 Ward A lamp bulb Positioned within the housing [51] Int. Cl B60q l/00, B60q 3/00 Projects from the forward end and is enclosed y [58] Field of Search 240/7.1 R, 7.1 o, 8.3, internally reflective hood and a transparent cover 240 52 from which illumination is directed transverse to the longitudinal axis of the bulb and housing. A terminal 5 References Cited connector projecting from the rear end of the housing UNITED STATES PATENTS perpendicular to the longitudinal axis establishes an 3 003 059 long w d 5 electrical connection between a power supply and the or en 2,809,283 lO/l957 Spencer 240/7.l R bulb termmal leads- 2,! 13,553 4/1938 Dover 240/83 V 4 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures LICENSE PLATE LAMP ASSEMBLY 2,860,233 ll/l958 Johnson 24()/7.l R

1 LICENSE PLATE LAMP ASSEMBLY This invention relates to vehicle lamp assemblies and more particularly to a miniature type of lamp assembly suitable for illumination of a vehicle license plate.

It is an important object of the present invention to provide a relatively small size lamp assembly for license plate illumination capable of being assembled and mounted in an efficient and economical fashion.

Small lamp assemblies adapted to be mounted on vehicles to illuminate license plates, are well known as disclosed, for example, in US. Pat. No. 3,003,059 to Worden and US. Pat. No. 2,860,233 to Johnson. Such lamp assemblies involve the mounting of the lamp holder body in a wall aperture by means of a resilient grommet and the use of a screw or bayonet based lamp bulb rearwardly engaging a contact to which electrical energy is brought through a connector that is plugged in along the longitudinal axis of the lamp assembly. Because of vibration and deterioration of grommeted mountings, contact between the bulb base and the connector is often broken or interrupted after some wear. The obvious solution to this problem involved the design of special and expensive plug-in connectors and better cooperating holders for the lamp base socket. Such improved designs are, however, inconsistent with the space limitations for such lamp assemblies and are of course costly. It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a miniature lamp assembly free of the contact deteriorating problems that have beset prior lamp assemblies and which are less costly to manufacture. A further object is to provide a lamp assembly capable of being plugged into a relatively large conventional type of connector, despite the relatively small size of the lamp holder body.

In accordance with the present invention, the lamp assembly includes a holder body provided internally with positioning flns adapted to receive a miniature lamp bulb in coaxial relation to the longitudinal axis of the holder body. The forward light emitting end of the bulb when positioned within the holder body, projects forwardly from the open end of the holder at which a mounting flange is located. The end of the bulb is enclosed by an internally reflective hood and a transparent cover lens through which illumination is directed generally transverse to the longitudinal axis of the bulb when positioned within the holder body. The rear end portion of the holder body may contain a potting material to encapsulate the leads extending from the base portion of the bulb to female socket connectors that project at right angles to the longitudinal axis of the holder body from a flat portion thereon. Accordingly, reception of the terminal prongs of a power plug may be accommodated in rearwardly spaced relation to the mounting flange in order to conduct electrical energy from a suitable source to the lamp bulb.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout.

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a lamp assembly constructed in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a front elevational view of the lamp assembly shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a side sectional view through the lamp assembly.

FIG. 4 is a transverse sectional view taken substantially through a plane indicated by section line 4-4 in FIG. 3.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, the lamp assembly generally denoted by reference numeral 10 includes a holder body or housing generally referred to by reference numeral 12. Positioned within the holder body is a miniature sized, incandescent lamp bulb 14. In the illustrated embodiment, the bulb I4 is of the wedge type and includes a forward light emitting end portion 16 and a base portion 18. The bulb is positioned in alignment with the longitudinal axis of the holder body as shown in FIG. 3 with its filament leads 20 extending therefrom at right angles into a pair of female socket connectors 22 that extend through tubular sleeves 24 at right angles to the longitudinal axis of the holder body. The socket connectors 22 are adapted to receive the prongs 26 of a power plug 28 through which electrical energy is supplied to the lamp assembly from a suitable source through cable 30, as shown in FIG. 2.

The holder body or housing 12 is generally tubular in shape and is connected at its forward end to a transversely extending mounting flange 32 provided with a pair of mounting holes 34 as seen in FIG. 2. The holder body tapers rearwardly from the flange 32 to a rear end portion 36 having a sloping wall 38 and a flat portion 40 from which the sleeves 24 extend at right angles to the longitudinal axis of the holder body. The socket embracing sleeves 24 are accordingly spaced rearwardly from the forward end of the holder body. In view of the small size of the lamp assembly and the heat developed during energization of the lamp bulb 14, the holder body is preferably made of a high temperature plastic such as a polycarbonate.

Secured to the holder body through the flange 32, and preferably made of the same material, is a hood 42 that has an opaque, internally reflective surface 44 partially enclosing the projecting end 16 of the lamp bulb 14. The lamp bulb may thus be inserted into the housing through the opening at its forward end and longitudinally positioned therein by means of the positioning fins or projections 46 that project radially inwardly from the internal surface of the holder body. When inserted, the base portion 18 of the bulb will be in the rear end portion of the holder body with its leads 20 extending into the sockets 22. A potting material 48 is placed within the rear end portion of the holder body to seal the leads and firmly hold the bulb in position.

A light transmissive or transparent lens cover 50 is secured to the flange 32 and hood 40 to complete enclosure of the projecting portion 16 of the bulb within the lamp assembly. Light emitted from the bulb will accordingly be directed transversely or upwardly through the lens cover 50 for illumination of a license plate (not shown) mounted thereabove on the vehicle to which the lamp assembly is secured by means of the mounting flange 32. The lens cover 50 may preferably be made of the same material as the holder body and together with the hood forms a hemispherical enclosure for the forward portion of the bulb projecting from the flange.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation. shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. In a lamp assembly having an incandescent filament bulb, a holder including a forward end from which the bulb projects and a closed rear end, means mounted internally of the holder for positioning the bulb parallel to a longitudinal axis of the holder, terminal connector means projecting from the holder at said rear end transverse to said longitudinal axis, a rigid mounting flange connected to the holder at said forward end, and an internally reflective hood secured to the flange in partial enclosing relation to the bulb, a light transmissive cover secured to the hood and the flange to completely enclose the bulb, said hood being of an opaque and internally reflective material, said bulb positioning means including a plurality of radial projections axially spaced rearwardly from the forward end of the holder.

2. The combination of claim 1 wherein the holder is substantially tubular and said rear end includes a flat portion from which the terminal connector means projects perpendicular to the longitudinal axis.

3. In a lamp assembly having an incandescent filament bulb, a tubular holder including a forward end from which the bulb projects and a closed rear end portion having a flat section, means mounted internally of the holder for positioning the bulb parallel to a longitudinal axis of the holder, terminal connector means projecting from the flat section of the holder at said rear end portion, a rigid mounting flange connected to the holder at said forward end and a potting material enclosed within the rear end portion encapsulating leads extending from the bulb to the terminal connector means.

4. In a lamp assembly having an incandescent fila-- ment bulb, a holder including a forward end from which the bulb projects and a closed rear end, means mounted internally of the holder for positioning the bulb parallel to a longitudinal axis of the holder, terminal connector means projecting from the holder at said rear end, a rigid mounting flange connected to the holder at said forward end, an internally reflective hood secured to the flange in partial enclosing relation to the bulb, and a light transmissive cover secured to the hood and the flange to completely enclose the bulb,

said holder being substantially tubular and said rear I end including a flat portion from which the terminal connector means projects perpendicularly to the longitudinal axis, and a potting material within the rear end portion of the holder encapsulating leads extending from the bulb to the terminal connector 'means, said bulb being of the unbased type. 

1. In a lamp assembly having an incandescent filament bulb, a holder including a forward end from which the bulb projects and a closed rear end, means mounted internally of the holder for positioning the bulb parallel to a longitudinal axis of the holder, terminal connector means projecting from the holder at said rear end transverse to said longitudinal axis, a rigid mounting flange connected to the holder at said forward end, and an internally reflective hood secured to the flange in partial enclosing relation to the bulb, a light transmissive cover secured to the hood and the flange to completely enclose the bulb, said hood being of an opaque and internally reflective material, said bulb positioning means including a plurality of radial projections axially spaced rearwardly from the forward end of the holder.
 2. The combination of claim 1 wherein the holder is substantially tubular and said rear end includes a flat portion from which the terminal connector means projects perpendicular to the longitudinal axis.
 3. In a lamp assembly having an incandescent filament bulb, a tubular holder including a forward end from which the bulb projects and a closed rear end portion having a flat section, means mounted internally of the holder for positioning the bulb parallel to a longitudinal axis of the holder, terminal connector means projecting from the flat section of the holder at said rear end portion, a rigid mounting flange connected to the holder at said forward end and a potting material enclosed within the rear end portion encapsulating leads extending from the bulb to the terminal connector means.
 4. In a lamp assembly having an incandescent filament bulb, a holder including a forward end from which the bulb projects and a closed rear end, means mounted internally of the holder for positioning the bulb parallel to a longitudinal axis of the holder, terminal connector means projecting from the holder at said rear end, a rigid mounting flange connected to the holder at said forward end, an internally reflective hood secured to the flange in partial enclosing relation to the bulb, and a light transmissive cover secured to the hood and the flange to completely enclose the bulb, said holder being substantially tubular and said rear end including a flat portion from which the terminal connector means projects perpendicularly to the longitudinal axis, and a potting material within the rear end portion of the holder encapsulating leads extending from the bulb to the terminal connector means, said bulb being of the unbased type. 